Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/08/16

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Subject: Re: [Leica] OT: North American Blackout
From: Dante Stella <dante@umich.edu>
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 17:53:37 -0400

Before Edison being the key word - since it is his 35mm motion picture 
film that Leicas use.  That film was always wedded to the use of 
electricity, because 36x24mm contact prints are pretty goofy.  The film 
originated in cine projection, and the still photo use always 
contemplated projection printing.

The cameras that preceded 35mm generally used negatives producing 2x3 
inch or larger negatives or plates, something that you could at least 
contact print.  Even then, without electricity, it would be a real pain 
in the arse, since you would have to use the sun and some type of 
manual timing, running between the dark room (presumably where you are 
cuing up the bitumen of Judea plates to print on) and the outdoors.

Face it, without electricity (or the reasonable prospect it would be 
available within the latency of a film image), 35mm camera are toast.  
Not that larger ones would be that much greater.

Dante

On Saturday, August 16, 2003, at 03:37  PM, Afterswift@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 8/16/03 12:23:05 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> chris@almqvist.net writes:
>
>> A gallon of water would be enough to develop the first film,
>>  subsequent ones would take less. In need I can hand jerk the pump or
>>  throw a bucket down  the  well and  pull it up using a string. I knew
>>  this is a great place, now I appreciate it even more.
> --------------------------
> Before Edison (around 1900), everybody processed film and prints the 
> above
> way. I have shots of English nobles processing their plates in tents 
> on their
> mansion grounds. That's how Brady did his work in the field during the 
> Civil War.
>
> A darkroom now is sheer joy. We have Ilford and Kodak to make the 
> chemicals
> and films and papers. Things don't explode as they did in the 1850s. 
> We have
> great enlargers and timers. Photography was once a cottage industry 
> and a highly
> respected craft. I hope it continues to be.
>
> br
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>
____________
Dante Stella
http://www.dantestella.com

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